This invention relates to spring fasteners, and more particularly to those fasteners characterized by self-sealing properties and reversible quick-lock mechanisms.
A number of fasteners have been used in the past for securing one object on another object, as for example, securing an article such as for example a rigid plastic sheet on a metal or other rigid plastic sheet. The word xe2x80x9crigidxe2x80x9d stands for xe2x80x9cnon-elastomericxe2x80x9d for the purposes of this invention. However, the fasteners being used presently are particularly designed for only a limited number of matching objects to be secured on each other. For sealing purposes, a secondary resilient sheet, or a resilient body attached to the fastener may be used.
Examples of conventional fasteners are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,158 (Gronau et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 5,422,789 (Fisher et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,373,611 (Murata); U.S. Pat. No. 4,609,170 (Schnabl); U.S. Pat. No. 3,864,789 (Leitner); U.S. Pat. No. 3,673,643 (Kindell); U.S. Pat. No. 2,825,948 (Parkin); U.S. Pat. No. 2,607,971 (Bedford, Jr.); U.S. Pat. No. 2,329,688 (Bedford, Jr.); U.S. Pat. No. 2,322,656 (Murphy), among others.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,987,714 (Smith), which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a fastener which has a resilient or elastic body molded on the fattener for sealing purposes. The molded resilient body provides a considerable advance in the art, but for a number of applications, insertion of the fastener into a respective opening on a rigid sheet becomes necessarily more difficult, as it will be seen hereinbelow.
A major object of the present invention is to provide a fastener with excellent sealing properties without substantially increasing the force needed to insert the fastener into an opening of a rigid sheet, as compared to inserting the same fastener lacking the molded elastic body.
As aforementioned, this invention relates to spring fasteners, and especially to those fasteners characterized by self-sealing properties and reversible quick-lock mechanisms. More particularly, this invention pertains a fastening device comprising a V-shaped clip having a top section, a bottom section, a first side and a second side, each of the first side and the second side of the V-shaped clip having a securing element, the securing element of each side disposed closer to the top section than to the bottom section, and engageable to an opening of a first rigid sheet, thereby securing the fastening device on the first rigid sheet by the securing element, the fastening device also comprising a molded elastic body extending in thickness from the vicinity of the top section to at least one securing element, which securing element is located closest to the top section, the molded elastic body comprising a cavity between the first side and the second side of the V-shaped clip, the cavity having a closed cavity bottom.
Preferably, the elastic body extends in thickness far enough to cover all embosses and/or recesses. Also, preferably, the elastic body comprises a foamed or un-foamed polymer selected from a group consisting of plastisol, polyurethane, silicone, thermoplastic elastomer, and a combination thereof.
The securing element preferably comprises a structure selected from a group consisting essentially of a wide angle bent, an emboss, a recesses, and a combination thereof, and more preferably, the securing element of the first side is substantially parallel to the securing element of the second side.
In a preferred embodiment of the instant invention, the securing element of the first side comprises a wide bent angle and the securing element of the second side comprises a structure selected from a group consisting essentially of an emboss, a recesses, and a combination thereof.
The fastening device may further comprise an upper clip, the upper clip being integrally connected to the first side of the V-shaped clip.
This invention also relates to a vehicle comprising two objects connected with any of the fasteners in any of the variations described above.